Two new options for Black Friday shoppers

Gulf Coast Town Center, Coconut Point plan to open their doors early, compete with older establishments for shoppers' business

Merchants at south Lee County's newest malls are hoping they can compete with more established shops and be the first stop for holiday shoppers this year.

With the holiday shopping season unofficially kicking off Friday, stores at Coconut Point mall in Estero and Gulf Coast Town Center in San Carlos Park are joining stores throughout the country in opening early and offering discounts.

The majority of stores at Coconut Point are set to open doors at 6 a.m., with a handful opening as early as 5 a.m.

The doors will be swinging open just as early at Gulf Coast Center, said Ashleigh Henry, Gulf Coasts marketing director.

Offering discounts to get customers in early on the day after Thanksgiving is a tradition, Henry said. The goal is to get shoppers to spend money there first. And though Gulf Coast only had a handful of stores open last Christmas, Henry said she thinks the arrival of department stores such as J.C. Penney, Best Buy, Target and Bass Pro Shops could do plenty to draw people to that area this holiday season.

"We're expecting a lot more people this year," Henry said. "It's definitely a busy time for us."

The arrival of Coconut Point and Gulf Coast Center means shoppers have a lot more options this year. That means competition for more established malls in the area such as Miromar Outlets in Estero.

At Miromar some stores will also be opening at 5 a.m. as they try to reel in customers early with sales, said Jeff Staner, general manger at the mall.

Getting those early birds in the door before the sun comes up can set a tone for keeping them at the mall, Staner said. Because outlet malls tend to have more affordable prices it should go a long way in securing a good customer base, Staner said.

Early morning shopping on "Black Friday," as it's referred to in the retail world, tends to be a traditional practice to those to participate, Staner said. The stores at Miromar are there to accommodate that tradition, he added.

The first few days after Thanksgiving tend to set a trend for retailers. This year early indications are that the season will be good.

And with Thanksgiving falling on a relatively early date this year, shoppers will have even more days to go about getting gifts.

"We expect consumers to take their time and utilize the 31 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas," said Larry Flanagan, chief marketing officer for MasterCard Worldwide.

Analysts expect robust holiday sales gains for the overall retail industry, though the pace is expected to be slower than a year ago. The National Retail Federation projects a 5 percent gain in total holiday sales for the November-December period, less than the 6.1 percent in the year-ago period.

Meanwhile, the International Council of Shopping Centers estimates same-store sales will rise 3 percent in the November-December period, less than last year's 3.6 percent.